Criminalist vs criminologist

The differences between criminalists and criminologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a criminalist, becoming a criminologist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a criminalist has an average salary of $68,152, which is higher than the $49,638 average annual salary of a criminologist.

Criminalist vs criminologist overview

	Criminalist	Criminologist
Yearly salary	$68,152	$49,638
Hourly rate	$32.77	$23.86
Growth rate	11%	5%
Number of jobs	14,872	304
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	38	41
Years of experience	4	2

Criminalist vs criminologist salary

Criminalists and criminologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Criminalist	Criminologist
Average salary	$68,152	$49,638
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $127,000	Between $24,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	City of Los Angeles	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between criminalist and criminologist education

There are a few differences between a criminalist and a criminologist in terms of educational background:

	Criminalist	Criminologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Chemistry	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of Maryland - College Park

Criminalist vs criminologist demographics

Here are the differences between criminalists' and criminologists' demographics:

	Criminalist	Criminologist
Average age	38	41
Gender ratio	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 5.9% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	11%

Differences between criminalist and criminologist duties and responsibilities

Criminalist example responsibilities.

Perform bone processing and DNA extraction from human remains.
Perform restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and PCR analysis.
Perform preventive maintenance on GC instruments and maintain preventive maintenance records in binders and LIMS.
Analyze controlled and non-control drugs using FTIR, GC/MS, GC/FID, and HPLC methods.
Analyze samples for the presence or absence of control substances using GC-MS, FTIR, microscopy and other chemical tests.
Develop a computerize firearms inspection worksheet that provide a print inspection report and create a firearms database.

Criminologist example responsibilities.

Work alongside grade-level teachers and lead small math groups for both remedial and advance students.
Share knowledge of effective strategies in mathematics instructional delivery.
Share knowledge of effective strategies in mathematics instructional delivery.

Criminalist vs criminologist skills

Common criminalist skills

Physical Evidence, 18%
Laboratory Reports, 7%
Body Fluids, 7%
Quantitative Analysis, 5%
Perform DNA, 5%
Proficiency Testing, 4%

Common criminologist skills

Criminalist vs. similar jobs

Criminalist related careers

Criminalist related jobs

What similar roles do

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Criminalist vs Criminologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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